It has been months since I have posted an update. Thank you so much to those of you who still check in here, stopping by to grab a recipe and thinking of me and my family. Your support is felt and very much appreciated. I have stopped and started writing over the years because I haven’t…

I have been part of a women’s weekly bible study for the last two years and loved it. I loved getting to know several women who were in the same place in life as I was. We grew, connected and saw each other through life’s ups and downs. Sadly, this summer was our last summer…

I just wanted to pop in and say a HUGE Congratulations to my sister, Melissa, who competed in her first bodybuilding competition yesterday. She came in First place in Novice Class E and Second place in Open Class E. We are so very proud of the hard work and determination that she has shown over the…

This is something that I have been avoiding posting about because I feel so defeated. It’s as though if I don’t write about it then it isn’t happening. Which is completely untrue, because I’m feeling all the feels, but just keeping them locked up inside. I have a small part of my soul that never…

Every year I look forward to celebrating Advent with my boys. Since Matthew was born, we have had some sort of Advent calendar. The first year I picked up an organic, fair-trade chocolate advent calendar at the natural food co-op while shopping for our Thanksgiving meal. Allan and Matthew tore open the doors each day and Allan…

I have been a MOPS mom for 2 1/2 years. I found MOPS when I was in a very lonely, fragile place emotionally, spiritually and paternally. Luke was 6 months old, he was feeling healthier after figuring out his health problems and was finally sleeping for more than 40 minutes at a time. After spending so…

A few weeks ago while Allan was traveling, Matthew asked if we could have something other than eggs for breakfast. See Matthew is a very smart boy. On the week days Allan makes breakfast for the family while I workout and get dressed for the day. Matthew knows that when daddy is making breakfast it…

Happy Tuesday, friends! I hope that you had a productive and restful weekend. Since Thursday we have been going nonstop from sun up to sunset! It all started two Thursdays ago with an email from an incredible blog, who happens to be a fan of my husband’s design work. But, let me start at the beginning of…

Oh friends, for the last year I have felt like a caterpillar awaiting transformation. Knowing full-well that God had something more in store for my life – cocoons and wings, not simply milkweed. I have felt God working closely to shape and form me. To smooth out my rough edges, like an agate waiting in line…

Do you ever experience visions from God? I do. I guess I never really thought about it as being that unique or special until last weekend at MOMcon when Jennie Allen spoke of the vision she had when praying about her keynote speech. It felt a little odd to hear that she had a vision about us…

Good afternoon! It’s a glorious, sunny fall day here. I hope that the sun is shinning wherever you are, as well! Here are a few things that I have been loving lately. I hope that something here blesses your heart and reminds you to go out and enjoy something that you love this week! 1….

Good afternoon! I wanted to stop by and let you know that I have been busy over on Instagram sharing the snacks that my kids have been enjoying this week. Check out all of the posts by searching the hashtag #cleaneatingsnacks and #cleaneatinglunch. If you’d like more ideas for fabulous clean eating and whole foods…

As I sit here on a snowy, beginning of winter day perusing the beautiful family photos we had taken in early November, I am thankful that we planned ahead. Trying to wrangle two small children in front of a misshapen Christmas tree armed with a tripod, self-timer and lighting kit seems like an accident waiting…

When L began eating solids back in March we loosely followed the Baby-Led Weaning approach. I was surprised at how well he did feeding himself cute pieces of super soft foods. So, honestly we haven’t had a huge need for homemade baby food purees, like we did when M was a baby. I am really loving…

As the temperature and humidity rise, rhubarb is taking its final bow. However, if you’re like me, your plants are still hanging on. Go out and pick your last harvest and enjoy this amazing semi-homemade Ginger Rhubarb Peach Cake. Can’t get your hands on rhubarb anymore? No worries! This cake would be amazing using blueberries,…

We had a wonderful weekend filled with tons of family time. It was the first weekend this summer that we didn’t have anything planned in advance, so we were able to make our own schedule and take our time at home (and away). One a week Allan watches the boys after he gets home so…

I blinked and the summer is already half over. In a few short weeks the air will be crisp, football season will kick off and my sweet pea will turn one. Either our cold and wet Spring has me off or I am still sleep deprived from 8+ months of waking every few hours. Whatever…

It’s been a while since I’ve checked on MMM and just noticed this post that was supposed to publish on June 26th never made it live. Ooops. —— It’s been a long time since I’ve checked in, so I decided to stop by and let you in on our comings and goings over the last…

Yes, I know it’s late in the day on Friday and a new weekend is upon us, but, I DO want to talk about LAST weekend. Please indulge me for a moment… we are still playing catch up from Allan’s trip to St. Louis last week, where he judged the AIGA St. Louis design show….

Here are a few of the things we have been enjoying lately. 1. Lots of restful, bliss-filled naps. 2. Interest in crawling. 3. Freshly sun dried diapers. 4. Sun-filled trips to the Zoo. 5. Picnics in our front yard. 6. Nature walks along the creek. 7. Local playgrounds. …

As you already know, I am a big fan of acquiring proper nutrition by eating a plant-based clean diet filled with lots of fruits, veggies, healthy fats, gluten-free whole grains and lean meat. However, the unfortunate state of our land, sea and air has made it very difficult to (safely) acquire necessary nutrition from food alone….

Warning: this is a completely random post induced by my sneezy/stuffy state of being. Happy Earth Day! We celebrated by reading one of our favorite books. We are hunkering down for yet another snow storm that is forecast to hit tonight. We could get up to 10″ of snow! When will Spring finally arrive? Well,…

Things have turned a delightful corner. I almost didn’t want to blog about life with a seventh month old and 2 (going on 3) year old because I didn’t want to jinx it! However, keeping with my promise to be honest with you, my beloved friends, coupled with the fear that I may have talked…

We spent last week on vacation in Orange Beach, Alabama with my mother and father-in-law, who are snowbirds and spend the three coldest, most wintery months on the much warmer beaches of Alabama. The week started out a little rough. Traveling with two small children is kind of crazy. Although, we refuse to let having…

Thank you for your words of support and encouragement yesterday. It’s nice to hear that I am not alone. However, yesterday’s post was not intended to be a woe, is me plea. Honestly, it was a raw look into my day with two young children. I strive to keep from writing with rose colored glasses. I feel that…

I love when fellow mommy bloggers share Day In the Life posts, so I thought that I would do a quick run down of a day in the life of the Peters family! I am following the The Eat-Clean Diet Stripped plan as our beach vacation approaches, so all of the eats that you see…

I realize it has been months since I first posted about Luke’s health and I have not updated you on how things are going. I am so sorry. To say that life is a hectic, crazy mess with two kids under 3 would be an understatement! Somedays I honestly have no idea what I’ve done all…

Thank you so much for your kind words on Facebook, Twitter and in the comments of my Birth Story posts. Your continued love and support means the world to me! i hope that by telling my story I can inspire someone else to let go and trust her intuition and her body’s ability to birth…

This post is the final installation of a three part series of Luke’s Birth Story that ran this week. Click here to read Luke’s Birth Story: Part 1, The Road to Homebirth Click here to read Luke’s Birth Story: Part 2, In Denial — At 1:00 AM sharp I awoke from a deep sleep. I…

This post is the second installation of a three part series of Luke’s Birth Story that ran this week. Click here to read Luke’s Birth Story: Part 1, The Road to Homebirth Click here to read Luke’s Birth Story: Part 3, The Birth — Fast-forward several weeks to Friday, September 7th, the night before Luke’s guess date. I…

This post is the first installation of a three part series of Luke’s Birth Story that ran this week. Click here to read Luke’s Birth Story: Part 2, In Denial Click here to read Luke’s Birth Story: Part 3, The Birth Luke’s birth story begins when I was seven months pregnant with Matthew. At that time we were taking…

This morning Matthew, Luke and I ventured to our Co-Op, Valley Natural Foods, for the first time since Luke was born. In the last few months I’ve shopped at Valley a couple times either with Allan or solo, but this was our first time there just the three of us. I was prepared for an…

Hello, lovely! Words cannot express how much I have missed you. The following are ten things that I am loving right now that I couldn’t help but share with you! 1. Making art. Matt and I have been embracing our inner artists. This was our first time using our gluten-free organic/edible finger paint. Matthew thoroughly enjoyed…

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas from our family to yours. Once again, Allan did an fabulous job scouring through hundreds of family videos to put together our 2012 family video. It’s amazing how quickly life changes and our children grow. We hope that their joy warms your hearts this holiday season! Peters Christmas 2012…

Yep. I’m a week late and a dollar short; but if you’ll excuse me, I’d still like to share a little Thanksgiving Recap. We had the most delightful time with our family enjoying good food, adult beverages and, of course, each other’s company. We certainly do have a lot to be thankful for. Our beautiful…

As promised yesterday, I am going to give you a peak at our Thanksgiving meal budget. This year, I decided to dial back our Thanksgiving budget, as I tend to go a little overboard during the Holidays. Trust me, it is not necessary to serve a plethora of side dishes along with your Thanksgiving meal….

If you have been following my blog for some time, you’ve heard me talk about hosting Thanksgiving for both of our immediate families every year. This year, I am aiming to do Thanksgiving on a Budget, as we definitely splurged last year. Even though, I am trying to keep our spending to a minimum, it…

Every year my Mom organizes the Operation Christmas Child event at our church. On Sunday morning we got together as a congregation to wrap and fill 40+ shoe boxes to send to children around the world. This is just one way that we can help to spread the joy of Christmas to others who may…

Luke is 8 weeks old today! I have missed blogging and am so happy to be back from my extended maternity leave. Sorry for dropping off the face of the planet these last couple months, but it was necessary for my own mental health as I juggle life with a newborn and a toddler. I have…

Luke Allan Peters was peacefully born in our living room into Allan’s loving arms on September 10, 2012 at 3:03 AM. Mom and baby are both happy, healthy and resting at home. Our sweet baby Luke weighs 9 pounds 8 ounces and is 22.5 inches long. Thank you for your support and love throughout our…

Every week passes by quicker than the last. I can’t believe that in a few short months I will be holding our little one in my arms! Baby Peters is grown like a weed, which is exciting, but a bit concerning, as well. Today I met with my midwife for my routine 26-28 week appointment…

I wanted to stop by and give you an update on the garden. Between the squirrels and baby bunnies, I’ve had my work cut out for me. I have managed to keep many of the plants alive and seeds going; however, will have to pick up a few extra plants at the farmer’s market this…

Sorry for the delay in posting photos from Matthew’s party. We’ve been a little out of sorts over here, so I had a delay in getting the photos pulled together. Last Sunday we celebrated Matthew’s 2nd birthday with family and friends. The following are some highlights from the party, including the party menu. We started…

Today Matthew turned two years old. On Sunday afternoon we hosted an intimate party to celebrate with family and friends. We had an amazing time and Matthew did not want the day to end! Stay tuned for a post with photos and the party menu tomorrow. On this special day, I look back on the…

Yikes! It has been way too long since I officially posted an update on the little munchkin steadily growing inside of me. The most exciting thing that has happened in the last few weeks, pregnancy related or not, was having our second ultrasound. I know that it is becoming quite popular to hold off on…

Hello my friends. I have missed you so much! Have you missed me? Originally I planned for today’s post to be about the last few weeks of pregnancy, but decided that it would be more fun to catch you up the fun things that have been keeping me up until midnight and waking at 6:30…

Have you been wondering to yourself, where in the world has that Maria Makes Muffins been?!? She hasn’t posted in weeks! Today I am here to answer that question… With the second trimester in full swing, Matthew and I have had quite a bit to catch up on. It felt like the first trimester moved…

I have fallen behind on posting my pregnancy updates and decided to combine weeks 17 and 18 into one post, as today is the last day of week 18! Remember when I mentioned in my week 16 post that I was having vivid dreams about feeling the baby kick on the outside of my belly?…

I appologize in advance for the pics in this post, I completely forgot to have Allan take an official week 16 belly pic. What you see are the best photos that I have from dyeing Easter eggs on Friday. I caught a little cold this week. I believe I had the same virus that caused…

The weeks are flying by! Every day I can feel the bond with my baby increasing in strength. During my first trimester there were times when it was easy to forget for a moment (or a couple hours) that I was pregnant. However, now it has become more of a full-time job. When I look in…

I have to be honest with you, for the last three months I have been keeping a secret from you. It’s a teeny-tiny secret that I have been dying to share, but haven’t quite found the exact words to tell you until now. I honestly have been ready to tell you for a couple weeks,…

This morning Matthew and I went to Bible Study, like we do every Tuesday morning. When we entered the nursery Matthew took one look at the blonde girl that was already in the nursery and immediately began crying. The last few weeks, Matthew has been having a difficult time with me leaving him in the…

It’s a glorious 43˚ outside and I have a couple windows open! I made a delicious, gourmet dinner last night of slow cooked maple baked beans, braised red cabbage and homestyle mashed potatoes. The entire house smelled glorious last night, but this morning the smell of dinner still lingered in the air and it was…

This afternoon we received a special delivery courtesy of Allan’s friend, Jason. A very friendly man delivered two boxes of warm, freshly baked Tank Goodness Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies to our doorstep. Since Allan is gluten-sensitive, these babies were all mine! Which is actually a very bad thing, because I ate two of them for lunch…

Life is absolutely crazy sometimes, isn’t it? I love the ups and downs, the hustle and calm, the glee and sorrow. It’s what makes us human, right? I live my days for this boy. I adore him. I simply cannot imagine life without him. I know that God intends for me to be doing exactly…

We had a bit of an unusual weekend and decided that instead of kicking off the weekend with pizza night, we would end the weekend with the family’s favorite meal. As you know, I have a recipe for an amazing whole wheat pizza crust that I raved about for months. Unfortunately, we are now gluten-free…

I know that life can get crazy. But I know that you still want to eat healthy even though you may only have 15 minutes to get dinner on the table. This is an easy weeknight meal that can double as a simple weekday lunch that your whole family is sure to love. This simple…

With the start of the new year and the popularity of get healthy resolutions, Whole Foods hosted a screening of the movie, Forks Over Knives at a local library. I have been wanting to see this movie for some time, but unfortunately were unable to make any of the Minneapolis showings in 2011. We called…

Good afternoon, Pinners! I would like to offer a warm welcome to all of the new readers that have found my blog via Pinterest. Over the last couple days that my recipe for Overnight Oats has gone viral on Pinterest. To all of the new readers, feel free pull up a chair, sip on some…

Every year my mom and I bake Christmas cookies together. We always make sugar cookies, which happen to be Allan’s favorite. My mom’s favorite cookie is the gingersnap, so we usually make gingerbread men as well; however, we are bursting at the seams with cookies this year and settled on simply making roll out cookies, as…

The magical whirlwind that is the Christmas season is almost over. The waiting of the Advent season will soon break through to the awe and wonder that is Christmas… snow or no snow – as it is here in Minneapolis. It seems that yesterday’s snow shower was more of a blip than the light white…

We have been very busy with Christmas preparations (baking, gifting and celebrating) as we await the birth of our Lord and Savior. So busy that this morning I was finally able to stop at Kowalski’s to grab a few books of stamps to mail out our Christmas Card. Our family photo was taken by a…

1. My mother-in-law treated my mom and me to a girls night making evergreen centerpieces to adorn our homes for Christmas. We had a wonderful time and came home with beautiful centerpieces. 2. When I arrived home from indoor playgroup this morning I found one of my spruce top pots had fallen over either by…

Matthew and I have been enjoying our Advent Calendar activities. Matthew looks forward to opening the Advent Calendar door and unfolding the little piece of paper every day. I found little clip art photos to represent each activity so that he can recognize what we are doing without the need for me to read the…

Thanksgiving has come and gone. With its passing we are left with several new and wonderful memories of delicious food, amazing company and midnight Black Friday shopping. Allan’s family with Matthew and Piggie: Mark (FIL), Annie (SIL), Mollie (Niece), Jakob (Nephew), Matthew, Ryan (BIL), Piggie Rubbed and ready for the oven! Sprouted Whole Wheat and Gluten-Free…

Hello my friends. I just wanted to stop in to wish all of my American readers a Happy Thanksgiving filled with good food, close friends and family and lasting memories. Try to make good choices, don’t come to the Thanksgiving table starving and allow yourself a treat or two. Remember the you will be back…

I hope that you are having a wonderful Thanksgiving week. Matthew and I have been hard at work prepping for the Thanksgiving Feast we are hosting on Thursday. Yesterday I did the grocery shopping – I lugged home 8 bags full of goodies for both Thanksgiving and Christmas cookies. All of the organic baking stuff was on…

Hello my friends. If you follow me on Twitter, are friends with me on Facebook or like MMM on Facebook, you know that I have been hard at work creating Thanksgiving printables to streamline your Thanksgiving shopping, prep and cooking. I have a lot to share, so let’s get right into it! For the last week,…

These sweet potatoes were wonderful! They can be enjoyed sweet, as shown above, or savory, as shown below. To make the sweet version omit the roasted garlic and rosemary from the recipe below and add 1 tbsp maple syrup and 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice. During the last few minutes of cooking top with marshmallows…

Pumpkin Brownie Pie Adapted from Oh She Glows This is one of the most decadent desserts I have ever made. The brownie is perfectly chocolatey and gooey while the pumpkin pie filling is better than traditional pumpkin pie. Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan. Print this recipe. Serves 8 Pumpkin Pie Filling 1 cup canned pumpkin 2 tbsp…

Cherry, Apple and Mushroom Stuffing Adapted from Clean Eating Magazine A savory experience for your mouth. I amped up my traditional stuffing recipe by adding dried fruit and apples and the result is delightful! Can be gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan dependent upon your bread selection. Print this recipe. Serves 12 1 (24 oz or 680g)…

Roast Turkey with Herby Gravy Adapted from Clean Eating Magazine and Alton Brown Over the years I have perfected the roasted turkey. Below I share with you my secrets to the timeless Thanksgiving favorite. Gluten-free and dairy-free. Print this recipe. Serves 12 4 organic carrots, scrubbed, cut crosswise and then into thirds 4 ribs celery…

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is only two weeks away! I am so excited! Allan compares my Thanksgiving meal to the Super Bowl. We look forward to it each year. This year is no exception because Allan’s sister and her family will be joining us from South Dakota. It is going to so much fun hosting…

I am thankful for… 1. A roof over my head, food in my belly, a supporting husband and a crying baby who just woke up from his nap. 🙂 2. A job that I love. 3. Thanksgiving is just around the corner! I have been testing recipes left and right. I have a couple winners…

Every year, my Mom organizes a shoe box packing party for the Sunday School children at our church. Yesterday we wrapped and packed 58 shoe boxes full of toys, books, office supplies and hygiene items to bless children around the world. Every year we have an amazing time gathering as a congregation in fellowship while…

Yep. I messed up. I accidentally fed my family gluten this week. We were only supposed to add soy back in this week, not gluten. Here’s what happened… I usually buy the Trader Joe’s tempeh and completely forgot that it contains barley, which has gluten. Guess what we had on Monday night – tempeh spaghetti….

Yes, my hair looks short in the above picture. No, I did not cut it – it’s just the way it is laying on my shoulders. It’s still long. However, it looks really cute like this… should I cut it? Allan, that question is not directed at you. 😉 1. God is doing amazing work…

After having such great success making steel cut oats in my slow cooker, I wondered if the same things could be done with teff, which is our second favorite breakfast grain. Guess what? It worked! Since I suspect that Allan’s digestive issues are caused by gluten, teff has become our go-to breakfast porridge. We usually…

A couple weeks ago I bought a new programmable crock pot to replace our old crockpot that was routinely burning foods. I am in love! I use the crock pot at least three times per week to prepare breakfast, supper and side dishes. One of my favorite ways to use my slow cooker is to…

Have you ever watched the show, The Best Thing I Ever Are? When we had cable, I would tune in to Food Network when I was doing chores… folding laundry, stuffing cloth diapers, etc. Inevitably, the show, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, would be on. I much prefer cooking shows like Giada At Home…

With the celebration of Canadian Thanksgiving last weekend, I have been getting into the holiday mood. Now I know that it isn’t even Halloween yet, but I absolutely love the Holiday Season! Is it sad that I even listened to a few Christmas Songs on my iPhone last week? Yep. It happened. With the new…

Hello my friends! Things are starting to settle down around here. I am loving not having the urge to check email every five seconds to ensure that everything at work is ok. Rachel Cosgrove (via The Female Body Breakthrough) is still kicking my butt at 5:30 AM. I added in a little Yoga is Yummy…

A couple weeks ago while at the Mill City Farmer’s Market, I picked up a half-gallon of freshly pressed, unpasturized apple cider from Sweetland Orchard. I knew right away that I wanted to use it in my baking. The next day I made a pot of crock pot steel cut oats and subbed in 1…

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10 Pumpkin Donuts Serve these pumpkin donuts with a side of scrambled eggs for a special weekend breakfast or with a slice of string cheese as a quick grab and go snack during the week. Print this…

You may recall that a couple weeks ago we hosted an ecofriendly, clean living party with the goal of only producing one bag of landfill-bound trash. If you are catching up, you can read about the party here and here. We were extremely successful in our mission and I thought that today I would share…

It has been quite the eventful week around here and it’s only Tuesday! Matthew and I have been checking things off our list left and right… including cleaning the house {finally!}, laundry {very exciting}, food prep {coconut butter, sunflower seed butter, peanut butter, larabars, pumpkin oatmeal protein bars, zucchini breakfast bakes, pumpkin pudding} and finally…

We had an amazing four day weekend together! I can’t wait to tell you all about it. On Friday, Allan took a day of vacation and we went to the MN State Fair. Look for a recap on this escapade tomorrow. Today, I want to tell you about our One Bag Mexican Fiesta that I…

Good Morning! My posting has been sporadic lately because Matthew and I have been super busy! Matthew is constantly on the go and we are always doing something. One of his new favorite games is tag – we take turns chasing each other around the house. It is so much fun and quite a good…

On Saturday afternoon we visited the Gardens of Eagan open house. Garden’s of Eagan is a 100 acre, urban-edge, organic vegetable farm that provides produce to several area co-ops and businesses. They also frequent a few farmer’s markets, including the Fulton Farmer’s Market. Sunday afternoon was spent dicing and freezing lots of peppers,…

According to our monthly meal plan for August, on Saturday morning we were supposed to have cinnamon rolls from Mama Pea’s new book. However, for the last week I had been craving french toast. So, our plans changed. Instead I thawed the last loaf of homemade cinnamon swirl bread overnight and we had french toast….

We arrived home late last night, just in time for a big thunderstorm. Allan unloaded the car between downpours while I unpacked and put away the cooler with Matthew’s help. After several hours in the car, we stopped in the cute town of Menomonie, WI to pick up supper. After doing some research on my…

Late this morning, we spent a couple hours walking the Lake Michigan sandy beach outside of Menominee, MI. We had a beautiful time and for a moment we were able to take our minds off of why we are here. For lunch we stopped at the Blue Bicycle in Marinette, MN. Allan, Mark and Lois…

Yesterday morning we received news that Allan’s Great Aunt Anna Mae passed away, so we quickly packed up the Rav4 to accompany Allan’s parents to Peshtigo, Wisconsin. We are staying at the lovely Country Inn in Marinette, which is a bit outdated, yet surprisingly very clean. Also, they have a huge fridge in the room…

Lately I have been on a preservation kick. This week I picked up 3 lbs of organic cherries at Target for a little over $3 per pound! On Tuesday night, I hand pitted and froze all 7+ cups of them! I am so excited to have organic frozen cherries in the house, because I love…

It’s late and Allan and I would like to rent a movie from iTunes before bed. So I am going to make this short and sweet. 🙂 We have been enjoying our time as a family this week and are sad to see the week nearing its end. It will be very weird to be back…

This morning while cutting carrots for Matthew’s lunch, I sliced my thumb on my mandolin while talking to Allan instead of focusing on the job at hand. This is following trying to grate off the knuckle on my middle finger using a micro plane… I really need to be more careful. Today Allan and I…

We are officially on vacastaycation. Every summer we take a week to enjoy everything the things we love about living in Minneapolis. Last night we went to the Minnesota Zoo. Every year Dakota Electric sponsors a free night at the zoo and every year we try to be in attendance. I love to hear about…

We had another glorious weekend filled with sunshine, family and amazing food! On Friday night Allan and I went on a date to Doolittle’s Woodfire Grill where we dined alfresco on amazing food including a cosmo for her and a mojito for him (my first vodka since having Matthew). We shared the mediterranean flatbread, mediterranean…

Last Friday morning before work, Allan asked me if we were having Friday night pizza and I told him, “of course, it’s Friday, isn’t it?” He then asked me what kind of pizza we were having and I told him “you’ll see”. When he arrived home to see me shredding potatoes he was very suspicious….

Last night Allan grilled up the most delicious supper that we have enjoyed in quite some time. Pork chops marinated in balsamic vinaigrette, grilled potatoes, grilled zucchini and grilled peaches all drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette. The star of the show was the grilled peach. They were so sweet and juicy! My in-laws have a ton…

We arrived home late from Albert Lea and I knew that Matthew would be up early, so I prepped overnight oats. Allan’s has whole milk yogurt and 2% milk. Mine had homemade low-fat kefir and 2% milk. Served with a side of fresh farmer’s market musk melon. So refreshing on a HOT day! Starting Saturday,…

On Saturday, after we visited the farmer’s market, we went to my aunt and uncle’s house in Albert Lea to celebrate my aunt’s birthday and go on the boat. My aunt and uncle are lucky enough to own a house right on the lake and when we visit, we always spend a good amount of…

On a hot, slightly rainy Saturday, we stopped at the (new to us) Fulton farmer’s market. The Fulton farmer’s market is a newly formed market and is the sister market to our fave Sunday market. This was our very first visit and I was very impressed by the selection at such a small market. We…

As promised, I finally got around to unloading, sorting and editing the photos that we took during our cabin retreat. The Fourth of July festivities included Matthew’s first parade, chicken gyros from a sidewalk vendor, swimming in Leech Lake, catching a Muskie and a potluck supper with friends who are like family. Here is a photo…

Lately Mister Matthew has been on a utensil kick. If he sees a fork or a spoon he must have it and use it to consume whatever masterpiece that I make for him. The other day he insisted upon feeding himself leek soup with a spork and a spoon. This was the resulting mess. Not…

Welcome to the Peters Pagoda on Deadman Lake. Where cats are strung from the rafters… It is considered an insult to wear make-up… Cooking is a bold adventure… Air conditioning and running water are lavish luxuries… And lounging on the lanai is considered a day’s work. The following is a photo tour around our family’s…

We arrived back in Minneapolis last night and I have been nonstop sorting, organizing, laundering, working and shopping since we arrived. It’s amazing the amount of things that need to be done when you are away for 6 days! I plan to make a more detailed post about our time at the cabin; however, I…

Today was another beautiful day. It is rare for it to get very hot at the cabin, but this week has been an exception… Thursday was 90+ and yesterday was in the high 80s. Today it cooled down a bit and was in the mid 80s. Since the sun was shining Allan, my father-in-law, Mark,…

Good afternoon from the North Woods! This is the second draft of this post, I am still figuring out the quirks of the Word Press app on my iPad while being offline. Hmph! Late last night we arrived at the Peters family cabin in the Brainerd lakes area. As I said in my post on…

We spent another incredible weekend with our families! My father-in-law was away for the weekend fishing with his nephews, so my mother-in-law offered to watch Matthew on Saturday night. Allan and I spent our date night with movie and dinner. We usually do dinner first and then the movie, but this time we decided to…

Today was a lovely day. The day started with Blueberry Almond Breakfast Bakes using this recipe as a base. To keep things interesting, I tried my hand at a little experiment… I subbed almond pulp, leftover from making homemade almond milk, for buckwheat flour, omitted coconut oil and traded out cherries for 1 cup frozen…

Today was an amazing day filled with laughter, sunshine and family. I love afternoons spent talking, munching and playing in the sunshine with those that mean the most to me. It was glorious! Last night I was so excited to enjoy a Cooler 2 breakfast that I threw together this simple Rhubarb Strawberry sauce that…

Prior to Matthew’s birthday party last weekend I had no clue how to correctly frost a cake. I wanted Matthew’s first birthday cake to not only be a nutritious whole food delight, I also wanted it to be as beautiful as a store bought cake. So, after scouring the internet, reading demos and watching how-to…

As you know, Sunday was Matthew’s first birthday and we threw a small party for him. The following is the food that we served to our family that came from near and far to celebrate with us. Prepping the salad I used the following simple dressing on this salad. The recipe makes enough dressing for…

In honor of Matthew’s first birthday, which was Sunday, I am reposting his birth story. I feel that when you are pregnant there is so much emphasis placed on the things that could go wrong rather than the joy and love of birth that I could do no harm by reposting the story of Matthew’…

To my dearest Matthew for your first birthday. He (Jesus) called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:2 Before you were born I thought that I…

Thank you so much for all of the wonderful comments that you left yesterday. I am so excited to take your feedback and use it to improve MMM. If you have not already, be sure to stop by yesterday’s post and enter to win a batch of my dough balls -trust me, they are amazing!…

On Saturday, my younger sister, Melissa, graduated with honors from St. Thomas University. She was awarded a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting. We are all very proud of her and wish her much luck in her future career with the IRS. Following Melissa’s commencement, we met Allan and Matthew at Cossetta’s. Cossetta’s is a small,…